Vision

Far West NSW is uniquely Australian, encapsulating the essence of the nation, from its stark beauty and ancient indiginous culture, through to the modern age with its rural beginnings that was followed by industrialisation through the mining industry from the late 1800s. As we enter the digital economy age the Far West region looks forward to celebrating and bringing our unique selling points to the broader world to build a stronger more sustainable community.

The digital economy is not just about pipes in the ground. Yes we need the infrastructure, but the digital economy is largely about people. It is about communities of people being enabled to work together more effectively and to bring their products and services to the world; it is about people receiving the healthcare they need no matter where in the country they live. It is about our children being able to access world class education ensuring they have a positive and productive future where they can fulfil their potential.

In the Far West Region we believe the strengths our community has displayed in our past are the same strengths that can be revitalised with internet technology to drive our future.

The digital economy and high speed broadband will provide foundations for this region to become a leading region in Australia and the world in the creation and delivery of

Core mining skills and mining expertise that can be shared across the globe

Strong creative services industry which will be crucial to the future digital services economy

The region currently suffers from some social issues with low income and isolated families and high unemployment, health issues and disengaged youth. The NBN provides the opportunity to tackle these issues in a variety of new ways. However, experts across the world warn of the dangers of a digital divide developing unless the digital economy is made available to all. A central tenet of this strategy is that The Far West region is committed to ensuring, that from the outset, we build an inclusive strategy that will tackle the issue of a digital divide head on. What is more, the processes and strategies built in this region to counter the Digital Divide can become a blueprint for narrowing the “digital divide” throughout regional Australia.

The rollout of the NBN presents the Broken Hill Far West area with the best opportunity it has had in generations and we intend to grasp it with both hands.